Having told you that the last entry was the last until Roy gets home, I have now received a blog in the post from Roy - so here it is! H
Thurs 31 July 08, vicinity of Corrie Hallie (beneath An Teallach)
Well all you good people, this will be my last blog live from the "coal face".
Today's traipse consisted of 18.5 hard miles from Kinlochewe (pronounced Kinlockyou) to help make up for the day's delay when my parcel failed to arrive there. Apparently the dear old PO send mail by air to Inverness and distribute from there. But the day my parcel was due, a storm at Inverness prevented them landing. Fortunately it was OK the next day so I only lost the one. That wouldn't ordinarily matter so much, but I'm on a schedule to meet Mick at Kylesku on 7 August for the last four days. I'd hate to be late when he's making such a humongous journey.
I've got the perfect wild camp here., aided by a strong breeze which keeps the little (and large) biting blighters at bay. (Midges and `clegs' - clegs are a kind of Scottish horsefly which actually take small lumps out of you when they bite, they do draw blood!) I'm sitting on a large rock outside my tent on a beautiful evening, a bubbling burn just 50 m away for water, and nobody for miles to disturb the peace.
And all in the backdrop of An Teallach. I retraced my steps here from Corrie Hallie, having called in at the Stepping Stones" arts and crafts shop, hoping to find a tea shop or cafe. Sadly there was nothing - in fact Corrie Hallie consists solely of the Stepping Stones place. However, a lovely lady called Janet gave me a cup of coffee and a plate of biscuits, and revived my spirits enough to propel me back up to this lovely haven.
Sat 2 August, Ullapool
Here I am at Ullapool, last place to take on provisions for 8 days until the tiny hamlet of Kinlochbervie just two days from Cape wrath. Having an extra night's stopover here, allowing me to dry out before the final push. I've decided to revisit the country to the north and west of here, taking in Stac Pollaiah (pron Polly), Suliven and Lochinver on the way to meeting up with Mick.
Yesterday was a wet traipse of 6.5 miles to Inverlael (pron Inveray, followed by a further fast eight miles up the length of Loch Broom into Ullapool. The walk was punctuated by an encounter with another lovely lady at Inverael who supplied me with tea and toast. She had lived in the same house for 77 (yes, seventy seven) years and had no wish to leave it in spite of her two daughters wanting her to move to Ullapool to be close by.
I'm hoping to revisit this area soon with Helen - the warmth of the people really can take the bite out of the wind - and the midges. Well, here's hoping for some good weather for this last ten days or so, with a bit more gritting of teeth I may yet see an end to it - just got to remember to keep putting one foot in front of the other!
And so to close, I would like to thank all who have taken an interest in this little project, and all who have given or are giving to the two charities involved. I hope that Friends for Leisure and East Cheshire Hospice have been able to raise a goodly sum in addition to the contributions attracted directly from our own efforts. Best wishes to one and all. Roy